116
0
1
References
- 1. Zettler, E. R., Mincer, T. J., & Amaral-Zettler, L. A. (2013). Life in the “Plastisphere”: Microbial Communities on Plastic Marine Debris. Environmental Science & Technology, 130619162220002. doi:10.1021/es401288x
- 2. Carson, H. S., Nerheim, M. S., Carroll, K. A., & Eriksen, M. (2013). The plastic-associated microorganisms of the North Pacific Gyre. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 75(1-2), 126–132. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.07.054
- 3. Reisser, J., Shaw, J., Hallegraeff, G., Proietti, M., Barnes, D. K. A., Thums, M., … Pattiaratchi, C. (2014). Millimeter-Sized Marine Plastics: A New Pelagic Habitat for Microorganisms and Invertebrates. PLoS ONE, 9(6), e100289. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0100289
Please wait...
About This Project
While many studies have focused on the visible impact of ocean plastic, we know much less about the impact of microbes that choose plastic as their home, forming the so-called plastisphere. The goal of my project is to evaluate the microbial diversity on floating plastic such as retail plastic bags in coastal waters and its potential impact on humans living on coastal areas. The project uses metagenomic next generation sequencing and standard microbiology techniques.
More Lab Notes From This Project

Browse Other Projects on Experiment
Related Projects
Blazing new trails to protect our forests: birds as bioindicators of trail impacts
Millions of people use recreational trails each year. With participation in hiking projected to increase...
Uncovering fungal biodiversity from contaminated brownfield and superfund sites in Southern California
Fungal biodiversity in Southern California remains poorly documented, particularly in contaminated soils...
Out for blood: Hemoparasites in white-tailed deer from the Shenandoah Valley in Northern Virginia
Our research question centers about the prevalence and diversity of hemoparasites that infect ungulate poplulations...
